Iowa's population grew 2.9 percent since 2010

Iowa's population has grown by 87,824 residents in six years, according to new estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau. 

That change represents a 2.9 percent growth since 2010. Iowa's estimated population now stands at 3,134,693 people. 

Its growth came from births, as well as immigrants residents who moved to Iowa from other countries, the Census Bureau data shows. Since 2010, there were 243,461 births and 35,326 immigrations. That number is offset by 178,416 deaths and a net loss of 10,683 people who have moved out of the state in the same time period. 

The U.S. Census Bureau provides population estimates to the State Library of Iowa's State Data Center every year there isn't an official census. Information on county and city population totals, as well as population characteristics, will be available later this spring, said State Data Center Coordinator Gary Krob. 

D.M. metro is Iowa's fastest-growing urban area

Iowa has continued on a "slow and steady growth" over the past few decades, with 2016 being the 28th straight year of net gain, Krob said. Between 2000 and 2009, Iowa grew by 2.8 percent, he said. 

"We just don’t grow at a very fast rate, at least not compared to other states," Krob said. "… I would suspect by the end of the decade, if this pattern continues, we’ll see a much higher percent growth than we did last decade."

Four states in the Midwest had more growth than Iowa since 2010, including North Dakota — the fastest growing state in the nation — South Dakota, Nebraska, Minnesota and Kansas. 

Iowa is the 30th largest state in the nation.